Paddle wheel for laying out folded products

ABSTRACT

A paddle wheel is used to deliver folded products to a conveyor belt in a shingled fashion. The paddle wheel has a plurality of pockets which are formed by circumferentially spaced curved paddles. The thickness or width of each product receiving product is adjustable by providing a guide strip in each pocket. The end of the guide strip adjacent the bottom of each pocket can be shifted radially with respect to the axis of rotation of each paddle wheel by actuation of a drive assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a paddle wheel for delivering foldedproducts in a scale-like or shingled flow or orientation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A device for receiving printed products from a folding apparatus and fordelivering them to a conveyor belt is known from EP 0 164 440 B1. Inthis prior art device the printed products are received between twopaddles of several paddle wheels, which paddle wheels are spaced at adistance from each other in the axial direction. For braking an incomingprinted product, a pre-stressed lever arm is hingedly fixed in place onthe hub of the device in the vicinity of the bottom of a paddle wheelpocket located between two paddles.

However, it is disadvantageous in connection with this device that,because of their low mass, thin printed products in particular aredifficult to insert between the lever arm and the paddle, which resultsin irregularities in the alignment of products placed on the deliverybelt.

A device for stacking sheet-shaped objects is known from EP 0 104 383B1, wherein at least one of the several identical paddle wheel disks,which are spaced apart from each other, is turned with respect to theother paddle wheel disks in such a way that the spaces between thepaddle wheel pockets of the various paddle wheel disks are no longeraligned with each other. Because of this the front edge of thesheet-shaped objects in particular is made wavy and is thereforeclamped. However, this can only be accomplished in connection with thinproducts, wherein these thin products are possibly permanently deformedin an undesirable manner at their front edge.

In accordance with another embodiment of the above mentioned EP 0 104383 B1, the paddle wheel pockets of at least one paddle wheel disk haveelastic boundary walls which utilize, for example leaf springs, forclamping the products on the front. In this case, the same as inconnection with EP 0 164 440 B1, it is disadvantageous that, inparticular because of their low mass, it is difficult to guide thinproducts in a gap between the pre-stressed leaf spring and a paddle, orrespectively to deliver them in the correct position. It is not possibleby use of this device to correctly deliver products of variablethickness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the present invention to create a paddle wheel fordelivering folded products.

This object is attained in accordance with the invention by utilizationof a paddle wheel for the delivery of folded products in which thepaddles, which cooperate to form product receiving pockets, are slightlycurved and overlap one another. A leaf-spring-like guide strip issituated at the outside of each pocket. A first end of each such guidestrip is secured to the paddle lip and a second end of each guide stripends in the vicinity of the pocket bottom. This second end of each guidestrip can be moved radially with respect to the paddle wheel toeffectively vary the width or thickness of the inner end of the productreceiving product. An actuating assembly is provided to vary the radaillocation of the inner or second end of each guide strip.

The advantages which can be achieved by the present invention inparticular reside in that the width or thickness of the opening of thepaddle wheel pockets in the vicinity of the bottom of the paddle wheelpockets can be automatically adjusted. This bottom or inner pocket widththus can be matched to the thickness of the folded product to bedelivered. Because of this, a width, or respectively a breadth, of thepocket bottom, which is always matched to the folded product, orrespectively to the machine rpm, is set, so that a positionally correcttransfer, or deposit, of folded products can take place in every case. Ataper of the gap between the paddle and the guide strip prevents thefolded products from snapping back or rebounding after reaching thepaddle wheel pocket bottom. After their front edges have met the paddlebottom, the kinetic energy of thin folded products in particular can bereduced in a directed manner in that the rear half of the folded productis deformed in wavy lines because of contact with the paddle wheelpocket between the paddle and the guide strip, which widens in thedirection toward the paddle tip, and thereafter again takes on itselongated position. The paddle wheel pockets are suitable for securelyreceiving, as for well as positionally correctly depositing thick andthin folded products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An exemplary embodiment of present the invention is represented in thedrawings and will be described in detail in what follows.

Shown are in

FIG. 1, a schematic representation of a cross section of a paddle wheelwith a device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2, an enlarged portion of the paddle wheel depicted in FIG. 1; andin

FIG. 3, an outline wiring diagram for accomplishing the automaticsetting of the width of a pocket bottom of a paddle wheel pocket forreceiving a folded product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The hub 2 of a paddle wheel 1 is arranged, fixed against relativerotation, on a drive shaft 3 that is seated fixed in place in lateralframes, as seen in FIG. 1. The hub 2 has radially outward orientedspokes 5, which support an annular paddle holder 10 at their ends. Onits outer circumference, the paddle holder 10 receives curved paddles 4,extending approximately in the tangential direction, whose paddle innerends 6 are interlockingly connected with the paddle holder 10. The sameparts numbers will be used for like parts throughout this description.The paddles 4 overlap each other wherein, viewed in the clockwiserotational direction A, a paddle wheel pocket 11, which tapers inwardlyor which reduces in width or thickness in the direction toward thepocket bottom 9, is respectively formed between the outside or outersurface 7, of paddle 4 i.e. the side of a paddle 4 remote from the hub,and the inside or inner surface 8, of paddle 4 i.e. the side of apreceding paddle 4 close to the hub. The pocket bottom 9 is formed bythe outer circumference of the paddle holder 10 and an inside 8 of apaddle 4. An opening or aperture 13, for example of rectangular shape,is located in the vicinity of the outer tip 12 of each paddle 4. A firstend or outer 14 of a guide strip 16 is pivotably fastened, or seated inaperture 13. The guide strip 16 extends along the outside or outersurface 7, i.e. the surface of each paddle 4 that is remote from the hubor facing away from the hub 2 of the paddle wheel 1, in the directiontoward the pocket bottom 9 and ends with its second or inner end 17before the pocket bottom 9, i.e. in the vicinity of the pocket bottom 9,without touching it. The guide strip 16 can consist of spring steel, hasapproximately the width of the paddle 4 and, in the state of rest, itssecond or inner end 17 rests against the inside paddle surface close tothe hub of the adjoining paddle 4, so that the width "b" of the pocketbottom 9 approaches zero. Each guide strip 16 is hingedly connected withan operating member of an actuating means, for example with the pistonrod 19 of a pneumatic short-stroke cylinder 21, as seen most clearly inFIG. 2. This connection is accomplished at an inside surface 18 of guidestrip 16 close to the hub 2 as well as in the vicinity of the second orinner end 17 of the leaf-spring-like guide strip 16. In this way, theguide strip 16 is arranged so it can be raised and lowered in the radialdirection "c" of the paddle wheel 1 at its second or inner end 17 in thevicinity of the pocket bottom 9 by means of a drive or actuating means,for example by the piston rod 19. Each one of the short-stroke cylinders21 respectively connected with the inner surface 18 of the guide strip16 is located in a bore 22 in the paddle holder 10 and extending in theradial direction "c" in respect to the hub 2, so that the direction ofstroke C of the piston rod 19 of the short-stroke cylinder 21 alsoextends in the radial direction "c" of the hub 2, or respectively of thepaddle wheel 1. The free end of the piston rod 19 is connected with theguide strip 16 by means of a hinged strap 23, for example in the form ofa chain link. The first or outer end 14 of the guide strip 16 is angledand is designed to be semicircular, so that the end 14 extends beneath abolt 24, which extends in the opening 13 in a direction axis-parallelwith the drive shaft 3, and a bearing is formed in this way all as maybe seen in FIGS. 1 and 2.

All of the short-stroke cylinders 21 each have a connector 26 forcompressed air, which connector 26 is connected with a circular line 27which, in turn, is connected via a supply line 28 with a bore of an axlejournal of the drive shaft 3. In this case, the supply of compressed airfor the short-stroke cylinder 21 extends from the connector 26 to aninflow opening 30, from where it flows into the part of the short-strokecylinder 21 near the piston rod. A known rotary connector 29 forcompressed air, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, is located on the axlejournal. The rotary connector 29 is supplied with compressed air from acentral compressed air supply 32 via a known pressure-control valve 31,as depicted in FIG. 3, wherein the pressure-control valve 31 isconnected by means of electrical lines 33, 34 with a presetting computer36, for example a PC. The presetting computer 36 is furthermore alsoconnected with an rpm counter 37 located at the drive of the paddlewheel 1, for example a tachometer generator, as well as with a foldedproduct thickness measuring device 38, known from DE 38 38 314 A1. Thepresetting computer 36 is furthermore connected with a keyboard 39.

Several paddle wheels 1, not specifically represented, are spacedaxially apart from each other, and are arranged on the drive shaft 3.The paddle wheel pockets 11 of each paddle wheel receive folded productscoming from a folding blade cylinder, not represented, or from a wheelfolding unit. The thickness of the folded products to be conveyed variesbetween four and 160 newspaper pages and, with tabloid products, betweeneight and 160 pages. In order to assure a trouble-free reception ofthese folded products in the paddle wheel pockets 11, and a trouble-freedelivery of the folded products out of the paddle wheel pockets, thewidth "b" of the pocket bottom 9 of the paddle wheel pockets 11 can beset and fixed as described below. The air pressure for operating theshort-stroke cylinders 21 is determined by the compater 36 as a functionof the thickness of the folded products to be transported by the paddlewheels 1, and as a function of the rpm of the paddle wheels 1 and awidth "b" is set, for example, of the pocket bottom 9 in the radialdirection "c" of the paddle wheel 1, as seen most clearly in FIG. 2. Therpm-dependent value is required for compensating the centrifugal forceof the guide strips 16. The input of data regarding the folded productcan be performed by means of the keyboard 39.

However, if there is no presetting computer 36 nor a folded productsthickness measuring device 38, it is also possible to set the airpressure manually by means of a precision regulating valve at a centraloperating device, so that the width "b" of the pocket bottom 9 can alsobe adjusted in this way.

It is furthermore possible to utilize a generally conventional adjustingspindle motor in place of a short-stroke cylinder for adjusting theposition of the inner second or inner end 17 of the guide strip 16. Theadjusting spindle motor respectively comprises a stator fixed in placeon the paddle holder 10 and a rotor fixed in place on the adjustingspindle. In that case, the adjusting spindle respectively acts on thesecond or inner end 17 of the guide strip 16, wherein the spindleposition is reported by a linear potentiometer. Current lines can beprovided via the axle journal, for example by means of collector rings.

Finally, it is also possible to adjust the second or inner end 17 of theguide strip 16 by means of a cam acting as a regulating means, and whichis fixedly connected with a planetary wheel. A sun wheel of the size ofthe hub, which can be driven independently of the paddle wheel 1 andwhich can be rotatably seated on the paddle wheel 1, meshes withplanetary wheels located at its circumference, wherein a planetary wheelwith a cam is associated with each guide strip 16.

While a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of a paddlewheel for laying out folded products, in accordance with the presentinvention, has been set forth fully and completely hereinabove, it willbe apparent to one of skill in the art that a number of changes in, forexample, the type of printing press with which the paddle wheel isassociated, the type of folded product removal device, the materialbeing printed and the like could be made without departing from the truespirit and scope of the present invention which is accordingly to belimited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for the delivery of folded productscomprising:a paddle wheel having a circumferential surface; a pluralityof paddles, each of said paddles having a paddle outer tip, a paddleinner end, and spaced paddle inner and outer surfaces, each of saidpaddle inner ends being secured to said paddle wheel circumferentialsurface, said plurality of paddles overlapping each other and forming aplurality of circumferentially spaced folded product receiving pockets,each of said pockets having a pocket bottom; a plurality of guide stripseach having an outer end and an inner end, said outer end of each ofsaid guide strips being secured to said paddle outer tip of acorresponding one of said plurality of paddles, each said guide stripextending along said corresponding paddle to which it is secured, eachsaid guide strip inner end terminating adjacent said pocket bottomformed by said paddle to which said guide strip is secured and anadjacent one of said plurality of paddles; and actuating means forshifting said inner end of each of said guide strips in said associatedpocket bottom radially with respect to said paddle wheel.
 2. The deviceof claim 1 wherein said paddle wheel is rotatable about a central huband further wherein each of said guide strips is secured on said outersurface of its associated paddle.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein eachsaid guide strip and each said associated paddle have the same width. 4.The device of claim 1 wherein each said guide strip is spring steel. 5.The device of claim 1 wherein said actuating means includes a pneumatic,short-stroke cylinder.
 6. The device of claim 1 further including apresetting computer for controlling said actuating means, and a foldedproduct thickness measuring device, said folded product thicknessmeasuring device being connected to said presetting computer.
 7. Thedevice of claim 6 further including an rpm counter, said rpm counterbeing connected to said presetting computer.
 8. The device of claim 5further including a pressure control valve for supplying a pressurefluid to said actuating means.
 9. The device of claim 8 furtherincluding a presetting computer for controlling said pressure controlvalve.
 10. The device of claim 8 further including a central compressedair supply connected to said pressure control valve.
 11. The device ofclaim 1 wherein said actuating means includes an adjusting spindle andan adjusting spindle drive motor.
 12. The device of claim 1 wherein saidactuating means includes a planetary gear and a cam connected to saidplanetary gear for each of said guide strips, and further including asun wheel secured to said paddle wheel and in gear mesh engagement witheach said planetary gear.